Crossing the border with Blue Jays beat reporter Jordan Bastian.

Bastian's 2007 Predictions

It’s midnight here in Clearwater, Fla., where I’m spending my final night at Spring Training. I board a plane Saturday morning and will be heading to Detroit. That makes this as good a time as any to dish our my ’07 regular season predictions:

So there you have it. Let the arguments begin. You know what the great thing is about preseason predictions? Nobody is wrong. I have to go finish packing my suitcases now and get ready for my trek to D-Town. I like traveling to Michigan because, being an MSU alum, I get the chance to see some old college buddies whenever I’m in the state.

Toronto should be in for a busy day tomorrow. I phoned Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi tonight and he said the club would reveal whether Victor Zambrano or Josh Towers would be its fifth starter on Saturday. Towers is scheduled to start. Toronto will also likely make a move with Francisco Rosario, who is out of options. It’s down to either him or Jeremy Accardo for the final bullpen spot.

The Jays will catch a flight early on Sunday, when they’re scheduled to have a 4 p.m. workout at Comerica Park. If the weather is bad, there will be no workout. Opening Day for Toronto is two days away. I’m ready to get this season going. How about you guys?

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10 Comments

Hmmm don’t know if i agree about the AL central, but just heard about this possible Rossario trade: Who might they trade him for ? Who’s likely to be in our bullpen ? I thought Rosario and Accardo were pretty sweet relievers?

As long as Toronto can keep their rotation reasonably healthy, whoever wins the East will have to win 96+ games to do it. I think Boston could, because they have the best pitching in the East. The AL Central, aside from KC is a tossup, and I wouldn’t even want to guess.

I believe that no matter how well Toronto plays this year, they are likely to finish third behind Boston and New York. What the Jays must not do is mortgage their future at the draft deadline in an attempt to catch one of the two aforementioned teams. In fact, trading a veteran off of the roster at trade time might allow them to acquire the young pitching prospect that the require for the third spot in their rotation to make them a serious contender.

I really think the wildcard is going to come out of the AL East this year. Last year Detroit burst out of the gates surprising everyone while Cleveland struggled and the White Sox didn’t meet expectations. This year I think all teams in the Central are strong which will make it a dogfight. I can’t see anyone running away with that division.

Im being faithfull to the Jays and say they win the AL East this year. If Halladay, and Burnett stay healthy, and most of thier lineup is healthy they should reach 90 wins no problem. Boston’s rotation is not as strong as some may think. Toronto lit up Beckett, and Shilling is on his decline. Matsuzaka is the only one I see giving them trouble. New York will be strong as always, and even more so if they pick up Clemens. It’s going to be an exciting year.

I like the attitude in TO this year. Last couple of years, everyone whined about the schedule, or about the huge payrolls in New York & Boston. This year, I’m hearing, “Bring ‘em on!” The AL East will go to whoever can keep their arms the healthiest for the longest.

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